Responsible Office: Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications

Subject: Amendment to Executive Order 12975, as Amended, National Bioethics Advisory Commission

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the
laws of the United States of America, and in order to more accurately describe
the expertise requirements for members
selected for the National Bioethics Advisory Commission, it is hereby ordered
that Executive Order 12975, as amended ("Order"), is further amended as
follows:

Section 1. Section 3 of the order shall read as follows: "Sec.
3. Establishment of National Bioethics Advisory Commission.
There is established in the Department of Health and Human
Services a National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC). The NBAC
shall be subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C.
App)."

Sec 2. A new section 4 shall be added to the order to read:
"Sec. 4. Structure. (a) The National Bioethics Advisory Commission
shall be composed of not more than 18 nongovernment
members appointed by the President. At least one member shall be
selected from each of the following categories of primary expertise:
(1) philosophy/theology; (2) social/behavioral
science; (3) law; (4) medicine/allied health professions; and (5) biological
research. At least three members shall be selected from the general
public, bringing to the Commission expertise
other than that listed. The membership shall be approximately evenly
balanced between scientists and non-scientists. Close attention will
be given to equitable geographic distribution
and to ethnic and gender representation.

(b) Members of the Commission will serve for terms of 2 years and may continue
to serve after the expiration of their term until a successor is appointed.
A member appointed to fill an
unexpired term will be appointed to the remainder of such term.

(c) The President shall designate a Chairperson from among the members
of the NBAC."

Sec. 3. (a) "[S]ection 5" in the third sentence of section 1(b) of
the order shall be deleted and "section 6" shall be inserted in lieu thereof.

(b) Current sections 4 through 7 of Executive Order 12975 shall be renumbered
sections 5 through 8.